Surgical Apparel System Including A Peripheral Device And Method Of Operating The Peripheral Device

Abstract

A surgical apparel system including a surgical helmet, a surgical garment, and a power source. The surgical helmet may comprise a detector for determining the presence or absence of the surgical garment. The surgical helmet may also comprise a peripheral device and a controller for controlling operation of the peripheral device. The surgical helmet may also comprise a detector in communication with the controller, the detector configured to indicate the presence or absence of the surgical garment being disposed over the surgical helmet. The surgical helmet may also comprise one or more user inputs in communication with the controller and configured to allow the user to manipulate one or more operational characteristic of the peripheral device. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the peripheral device based on signals received from the user input and/or the detector.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling a peripheral device of a surgical helmet, said method comprising:
 connecting a power source to a connector of the surgical helmet;   automatically actuating the peripheral device of the surgical helmet upon connecting the power source to the connector of the surgical helmet;   pausing actuation of the peripheral device based on receipt of a user input signal from a user input device coupled to the surgical helmet;   disposing a surgical garment over the surgical helmet after pausing the actuation of the peripheral device;   coupling the surgical garment to the surgical helmet;   automatically resuming actuation of the peripheral device when the surgical garment is coupled to the surgical helmet.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a ventilation assembly and the user input device comprises a button; and
 wherein the step of pausing actuation of the peripheral device comprises manipulating the button to produce the user input signal to control the ventilation assembly.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a light assembly and the user input device comprises a button; and
 wherein the step of pausing actuation of the peripheral device comprises manipulating the button to produce the user input signal to control the light assembly.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of coupling the surgical garment to the surgical helmet comprises the step of coupling an attachment member of the surgical garment with a coupling member on the surgical helmet. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the surgical helmet further comprises a sensor for detecting the coupling of the attachment member of the surgical garment with the coupling member on the surgical helmet; and
 wherein the sensor is configured to trigger the step of resuming actuation of the peripheral device upon detecting the coupling of the attachment member of the surgical garment with the coupling member on the surgical helmet.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the sensor comprises a hall effect sensor configured to detect the coupling of the attachment member of the surgical garment with the coupling member on the surgical helmet. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the ventilation assembly comprises a fan; and
 wherein actuating the ventilation assembly comprises rotating the fan.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power source comprises a battery, and wherein the step of connecting a power source to the surgical helmet to power the peripheral device comprises creating an electrical connection between the battery and the peripheral device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of storing an operational parameter of the ventilation assembly prior to pausing actuation of the ventilation assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said step of storing an operational characteristic of the ventilation assembly comprises setting a speed. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of automatically resuming actuation of the ventilation assembly following coupling the surgical garment to the surgical helmet comprises resuming actuation of the fan at the set speed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of coupling the surgical garment to the surgical helmet comprises positioning the surgical garment relative to the surgical helmet such that a tag of the surgical helmet is within a read range of a reader of the surgical helmet. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the tag is an RFID tag, and the reader is an RFID reader. 
     
     
         14 . A surgical helmet for use with a surgical garment and a power source, said surgical helmet comprising:
 a helmet base;   a sensor configured to detect a presence of the surgical garment;   a ventilation assembly coupled to said helmet base;   a controller electrically connected to said ventilation assembly and configured to control operation of said ventilation assembly;   a user input device coupled to said surgical helmet and in communication with said controller, said user input device being manipulatable by a user;   wherein said controller is configured to automatically actuate said ventilation assembly when the power source is connected to said surgical helmet, to manually deactivate said ventilation assembly when the user manipulates said user input device, and to automatically re-actuate said ventilation assembly when said sensor detects the presence of the surgical garment.   
     
     
         15 . The surgical helmet of  claim 14 , further comprising a face frame coupled to the helmet base, the sensor being coupled to the face frame. 
     
     
         16 . The surgical helmet of  claim 14 , wherein the face frame further comprises a chin bar, the sensor being coupled to the chin bar. 
     
     
         17 . The surgical helmet of  claim 15 , further comprising a coupling member coupled to said chin bar said coupling member comprising one of a ferromagnetic material or a magnetic material; and
 wherein the surgical garment further comprises an attachment member configured to removably couple with said coupling member of said surgical helmet to removably secure the surgical garment to said surgical helmet.   
     
     
         18 . The surgical helmet of  claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises a hall effect sensor; and
 wherein the user input device comprises a button configured to be manipulatable by the user.   
     
     
         19 . The surgical helmet of  claim 14 , wherein the surgical garment comprises a tag; and
 wherein the sensor comprises a tag reader, said sensor is configured to detect the presence when the tag reader is able to successfully read the tag of the surgical garment.   
     
     
         20 . The surgical helmet of  claim 19 , wherein the tag is an RFID tag, and the tag reader is an RFID reader.